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Monday, June 6, 2011

Sad Days. Turn That Frown Upside Down & Smile Those Frowns Away

It was a day of tears mixed with excitement and ending with HAPPINESS. Yesterday my very young baby lambs were sold. All were weaned more or less. Sheep start eating within days of birth and their rumen works so much sooner than goats. Selling my sheep was as emotional for me as their mothers, the ewes. The ewes cried and I cried. None of them were really named, except EMO and Napoleon. Twin lambs with opposite personalities. We had to keep looking for the EMO lamb that felt so sorry for itself it hid, sulking. EMO wouldn't try to find it's way out and he suffered at first from weakness and malnutrition and we named him so we could look ... specifically for the continually lost lamb. Napoleon, the other part to the twins, needed watching because he loved to sneak-up and "ram" a leg. He was always beating-up all the larger black lambs. One of the lambs were going to get hurt, especially the black lamb of the same litter. The black had become completely fed-up with Napoleon's orneriness.

Emo Runt

The lambs had to be caught, some with ropes and some by their back leg.

The mothers and our ram tried to always get between to save them from capture. Finally, it was my decision to let the "mother-of-all-sheep" go with the lambs and baby lambs expressed their appreciation with silence and comfort. She was the Santa Cruz breed ewe and the breed has an unique talent that all sheep herders yearn, a mother ewe that feeds them all. The ewe would take on any other bummer lambs and be the most loving and protective foster mother. I mourned for her because she's old and she will be missed on our farm. The mother's left behind started a constant bleating that sent me to the house. I shouldn't have watched. The little woolly lambs were going to probably be eaten. The clothes of the day had been in the mud and lanolin covered my hands. I stepped into the shower and cried.

There was now enough money to buy some cool clothes for the hot weather. Our trip to the great state of Arkansas was soon coming up. Steve and I are celebrating our 40 year anniversary. We aren't going on a cruise or having a party, but we are doing something much better. A trip to witness and greet our ever changing family. We're going to see and be there when my daughter has her baby girl, Susan. A dear grand daughter is coming into our family and she'll carry my name. The Levi girl here, can't wear jeans for the trip and be comfortable in high heat and high humidity of an Arkansas Summer. My daughter and family live near North Little Rock, in a small town that looks as beautiful as the rest of this amazing state. It would lovely to see Lightening Bugs. My Bree hopes they are still busy making the night come alive. This trip will truly be a great blessing and adventure. There's never more an exciting time than added a member to our Eternal Family, Baby Susan

The new pants! I can't get the idea of the Latin word Capra, meaning goat. So the Isle of Capri is actually, the isle of goats. And...my cotton pants and the image in the brain ... these capris should be on a goat. It is important to know our yearling doe loves orange. The capri or shorter pant picks (say that fast three times) for the adventure, are all light neutral shades.

The decision was right to sell and with feed prices at an all time high, this farm needed to downsize. Goats and sheep are still getting good prices. It was the best resolution and good timing. A new direction is now being taken by a new focus on my mother and also some of the time will be used to work on the computer. Farmers are supposed to be tougher than this and this farmer is too soft and loves her animals. It's a time to consider the new more important, lasting work, and focus on my callings. The duty to my mother and Family History.

All of the rest of the money that was received from the sale, every bit, bought the program access for Ancestry.com and I had a coupon, too. I think I've been experiencing a touch of heaven finding my ancestors and learning just so much about their lives. My ancestors were members of the Church in two lines on different sides of my family. Each of the families were taught and joined the Church through the efforts of the Lord and earnest desire of the missionary to follow with faith and testimony to share the Gospel with others. The missionary's name was Wilford Woodruff. We are all so blessed.

This Is Not Happening Now I'm Finding My Family

My mother doesn't like to talk to me during the day. Her need is for me to be with her, but genealogy is in my lap. My mother wants me to help in all things, she wants me to help with her medication, and to help her with food, and getting dressed completely. The genealogy can come throughout the rest of my day after the chores are done and no flooding occurs. She watches TV and it's that's when my attention falls on the computer and the search continues for my ancestors. And before the program access ... I wasn't getting very far, in fact, the direction that all was going was backward because of continual mistakes that I have been discovering and already added in. Other families in a hurry to do their history have hooked themselves to my line. It is a frustration mess, because I can't correct their errors, but I can leave a note. This should have been watched carefully and online sloppiness carefully corrected. The procrastination doing genealogy has cost me a great deal of time working-out these errors. Don't wait until you are older, this is a young person's job.

The thought of doing a DNA test seems fun. It can be a treasure of information and a learning experience in which we all could benefit. Can a brother be convinced to give DNA? All the findings could be so interesting for our whole family. At least that's what everyone is talking about these days.

Horders should be collecting names. The names take-up less room and so much is learned by the facts about each family, a real Family History. The subscription for me is like my personal, huge jigsaw puzzle and people match, but I might have to turn the pieces around a few times to fit in my puzzle. Never-mind horders--you'd keep all the notes, papers, letters, information, records. My shredder is going to be at my side and I'm going to use it. Save the records online.

Obsessed, no determined. I admit I really am. My goal is to have everything as correct as possible because accuracy is one most important parts of my compilation of my family history.

The facts and information has to be perfect and even small conclusions holds back the progress. So I work carefully. That's why I love Ancestry.com. It shows me the proof. The census records and parish records are wonderful and just, tell me, who names their kid, Strangeman Heirsh? There is a reason.

Journal: A chance to remember sweet little lambs and the dear ewes, loved.

Next year will be more lambs. Now's the opening opportunity to pursue one the greatest of all callings in my life, and that's collecting and sealing-up Eternal Families. For this, I feel true happiness and grateful for being able to muster the courage to sell the lambs. The plan that isn't "seen" may have been that the farm was blessed with just enough, and it was a lot, of good wholesome stock of sheep to sell just for this purpose. Maybe this is a trial of selfish desire to keep my abundance versus using my increase to do more Heavenly pursuits.